Every year for about 2.5 weeks — beginning the last few days in Jan. and concluding mid-Feb. — the rock, gem, mineral and jewelry worlds cosmically align in Tucson, Arizona. Researchers, gemologists, authors, artists, miners and nearly 4,000 trade companies gather here from every continent for what is simply and collectively called The Gem Show. They bring their treasures, knowledge and expertise — all for sharing with the show’s tens (more likely, hundreds) of thousands of attendees from every global tribe and tongue. Earth’s gem and mineral riches are on display at nearly forty separate venues unfurled all over town, for sale at booths in huge circus tents, expo halls, warehouses, and in the city’s fine Convention Center. Over a dozen local hotels rent all of their rooms for a couple of weeks to rock, gem, or bead dealers who sell directly to the public from their rented rooms. Every type of polished and rough rock specimen, fossil and faceted jewel you can imagine is being peddled everywhere — on blankets on the sidewalk or in very expensive, sophisticated exhibits brought in by the world’s finest museums and collectors. Some shows span the entire two-and-a-half weeks, others for just a few days. Several shows are exclusively for wholesale buyers, others are open to the public. All of the shows are free except the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show™ held at the Convention Center — the original “Main Show” that started it all back in the 1950s. Indeed, Tucson hosts the Giant of all Gem Shows, the largest of its kind in the universe.